Apparatus for treating molten material



Dec. 3, 1935. I o. BLUME 2,022,755

-APPARATUS FOR TREATING MOLTEN MATERIAL Filed Nov. 21, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 3, 1935. o. BLUME v APPARATUS FOR TREATING MOLTEN MATERIAL File d'Nov. 21, 1934- 2 Sheets-Sheet -2 HZTOR/VEV Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES 2,022,755 APPARATUS FOR TREATING MOLTEN 7 MATERIAL Oskar Blume, Germany Application November 21, 1934, Serial No. 754,151

' Germany March 17, 1932 3 Claims. (01. 49-39 This invention relates to apparatus for treating molten material.

It has-already been paratus for treating proposed to construct anmolten material by forcing fluids therethrough, in which the molten material is treated in one chamber of a double-chambered ladle which is alternately tilted in opposite directions to fill and empty the chambers.

One object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus is treated with fluids in a ladle, in which a number of chambers exceeding two is provided, so

that, while maintaining the same rate of delivery of treated material as-in the known form, the individual ladle chambers have a longer time to cool and so have a longer life.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for treating molten material which includes a rotatable ladle having a plurality of chambers for holding the molten material during treatment.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus for the treatment of molten material having means to impart a step-by-step rotary motion to a ladle having a plurality of chambers to hold the molten material and means to hold the ladle stationary when one of the chambers thereof is being filled.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel combinations and arrangements hereinafter described in detail and set out in the accompanying claims.

The drum form of the ladle with more than four chambers permits the foaming chambers to be of a relatively large depth and this has the advantage that the vapour from'the'foaming liquid is forced to take a longer path through the molten material and to streams and thus to make the material lighter and more porous.

The apparatus according to the present invention presents the advantage over known foaming ladles which tip to and fro in that the ladle will last longer owing to the fact that there is no shock caused by striking against stops. Furthermore a ladle according to the present invention permits a greater cooling of the emptied chambers to take place since they are free from molten material for a relatively longer time.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figures 1 and 2 show two modifications of the invention'partly in side elevation and partly diagrammatically.

An inlet channel I for molten material (for example blast furnace slag) is arranged over a in which the molten material split up in more single foaming ladle 2. This latter is formed as a rotatable drum and is divided into four relatively deep foaming chambers 1, 8, 9, III by means of radial walls 3, 4, 5, 6. This ladle 2 is rigidly mounted on or constructed integrally with a hol-.- 5 low shaft II which is also divided by four walls lying in the plane of the walls 3, 4, 5, ,6 respectively, into four chambers, each of which communicates with the adjacent chamber 1, 8, 9 or I 0 by means of a number of perforations (not 10 shown) in the wall of the hollow shaft II. One of the projecting ends of the hollow shaft I I is provided with orifices I2, I3, I4, I5 situated beyond the end wall of the ladle 2, each one of which communicateswith one of the four chaml5 bers in the shaft. This projecting end of the shaft I I is carried in a flxed sleeve I 6 which is provided with a connecting pipe I! communicating with the interior thereof, which is adapted to be connected with a feed pipe I8 for foaming liquid, 1. e. generally water.

The pipe I! is so arranged that the orifice which is brought uppermost by the turning of the ladle is .in communication therewith; the orifice I2 is shown in this By means of this arrangement the foaming liquid is fed to the uppermost chamber of the ladle from the pipe I8 through the connecting pipe I1, I orifice I2, I3, I4 or I5, one of the chambers in the axle II, and finally through the perforations I connecting this chamber with the neighbouring chamber in the ladle.

A toothed wheel I!) is rigidly mounted on the shaft I I and engages with a second toothed wheel 2| rigidly mounted on a shaft 20; this latter shaft also carries a ratchet wheel22 fixed in relation thereto and has a freely rotatable crank 23 mounted thereon. The crank 23 carries a pawl 24 which engages with the ratchet wheel 22 and is so arranged that the crank 23 will turn the wheel 22 when turning in the direction of the arrow 3:. The crank 23 is connected by means of a link 25 to the crank 21 of a polyphase alternating current motor of the type known as a brake lifting motor. The circuit which supplies current to the motor 26 is provided with a switch 28 which is operated by means of a, second switch 29; this latter may be arranged either as a press button switch or as an automatic adjustable clock switch.

The link 25 extends beyond its connection with the crank 23'and this extended portion is provided with a slot 30 in which is engaged one end position in Figure 1. 25 3 troducing the foaming -34 by means of a link 33. The lever 34 is also mounted upon a fixed pivot, and between its connection with this latter and with the link 33 it carries a brake shoe 35 which is arranged to cooperate with a brake drum 36 mounted rigidly upon the axle I I.

When the foaming process, in the ladle chamber immediately'beneath the channel I, is ended, the switch 29 is closed by the operator or by the clock switch mechanism, which is set to allow a definite foaming time, and current then passes to the motor 26 through the switch 28. As a result of this the brake lifting motor 26 causes the cranks 21 and 23 and the link 25 to move until they reach the positions shown in broken lines in Figure 1 and the toothed wheel 2| is turned through a definite angle by means of the pawl 24 and ratchet 22.

' This angular movement is transmitted to the ladle 2 by means of the toothed wheel I9, and the members of the driving mechanism are so arranged and of such dimensions that the movement of the crank 21 of the motor 26 from the position shown in full lines to that shown in broken lines in Figure 1 corresponds to an angular movement of the ladle through ninety degrees. Towards the end of the stroke of the connecting rod 25, the lower end of its slot 30 engages the end of the lever arm 3! and moves it, thus causing the brake shoe 35 to be applied to the brake drum 36 by means of movement transmitted through the lever arm 32, link 33, and lever 33; by these means the movement of the ladle is arrested and it is held stationary at the required time. Simultaneously the orifice I5 is brought into communication with the duct I1 and the foaming process now takes place in the ladle chamber between the walls 3 and 6. When the operator considers it suitable, or after the interval of time for which the clock switch is set, current is again led to the motor and the described operation is repeated.

Instead of an electric motor, provided with an air brake, other means may be provided for driving the motor, for example a constantly running direct-current motor with a speed regulator and having a reduction gear, a crank drive and a uni-directional clutch, or compressed air or hydraulic pressure means may be used. Mechanism for driving the ladle by means of hydraulic pressure is shown in Figure 2.

In this figure the ladle and the means for inliquid are substantially the same as shown in Figure 2, except that in ,this case five foaming chambers are provided. Water for the hydraulic driving mechanism is led from a supply line 39 through a reversing valve 46 and through a pipe M or a pipe 42 to the forward or rearward slide 'of a piston 43, while a pipe 44, fixed to the valve is provided for exhaust water. The rod 45 of the piston43 is fixed to a cross-head 48 at its free end and has a pivotal connection with a connecting rod 41 which is connected with a crank 49 by means of a slot 48 and a pin carried by the crank.

This crank 49 is freely rotatable about the axis of the ladle 31 and carries a pawl 50 having a projection 5| in the path of which a fixed abutment 62 is provided. A ratchet wheel 52, which is arranged to be turned by the pawl 50 when this latter moves in the direction of the arrow w, is fixed in relation to the ladle 31, as is also a disc 53. This latter is provided with a number of notches 54, corresponding to the number of foaming chambers, which are Separated which takes place provided by the slot 48, the

ries a counterweight 51 and -a projection 59' which cooperates with the notches 54 in such a manner that the ladle 31 is held with one of its foaming chambers immediately beneath the channel I after each turning movement. A projecting finger 59 on the lever 56 is arranged in the path of a pawl 66 carried on the connecting rod 41. This pawl 66 is free to swing in the direction of the arrow 1/, but cannot swing in the opposite direction owing to an abutment member 6i also carried on the connecting rod 41.

After the foaming process in the foaming chamber beneath the channel I is ended, water is admitted to the hydraulic mechanism, which is in the position shown in Figure 2, through the pipe 4| with the result that the piston 43 and with it the connecting rod 41 move in the direction of the arrow 2. Owing to the lost motion connection crank 49 does not immediately follow the movement of the connecting rod 41, but the pawl 60 is brought against the finger 59 of the lever 56 and the projection 58 of this latter is withdrawn from the notch 54 0f the dim 53. Further movement of the connecting rod 41 causes movement to be transmitof the hydraulic engine 39 is arranged to be of such a length that at the end thereof the ladle 31 is brought into a position in which the centre of the foaming chamber, adjacent to the previously filled chamber, is brought under the channel I. During the turning of the ladle the projection 53 of the lever 56' slides over one of the raised portions of the disc 53, under the action of the counterweight 51, engages in the next notch 54, at the end of the turning movement and so retains the ladle stationary in the required position. During the return stroke of the connecting rod 41 the pawl 50 slips idly over the ratchet wheel 52 and is brought into operative engagement therewith gases with the fixed abutment 62 while the pawl 50 swings in the direction of the arrow 1/ and slides over the finger 59.

The duration of the foaming process can be adjusted by the operator I claim:-

1. In an apparatus for treating molten material, a ladle in the form of a drum having a plurality of chambers opening through the surface of the drum for the reception of the molten material, a hollow shaft arranged at the axis of the drum and movable with the drum, said hollow shaft being interiorly divided into chambers corresponding to and aligned with the chambers of the drum, the wall of the shaft being formed with openings whereby the respective chambers of the shaft are in communication respectively with the chambers of the drum, a fixed support for the shaft, a source of treating fluid leading through the support and to chamber of the shaft being formed with an opening to register with said source of treating fluid for the delivery of that fluid to the chambers of the shaft in succession, means for intermittently rotating the drum and connected shaft for the delivery of treating fluid successively to the chambers of the shaft and from such shaft chambers to the chambers of the drum, means for intermittently rotating the drum in one direction, and means for delivering molten material to the upwhen its projection 5| enthe exterior of the shaft, each 65 molten material and to discharge the same in sltion, to be materially cooled. order to provide at all times a. number of drum 3. In an apparatus for treating molten mate- 2. In an apparatus for treating molten matemittently to arrange each chamber in succesrial, a ladle in the form of a. rotatable drum sion in a charging position and thereafter in a having a plurality of chambers in excess of two, discharge position, means for delivering the molsaid chambers opening through the surface of the ten material to each chamber reaching a charg- 

